Towing device



April 6 1926. h 1,579,504

Al. E. BOEKENOOGENET Al.

TOWING DEVICE Fired Jan. 14, 1925 sa 3o '0 as n ven fons;

.2'. E Boeke/mogen.

Patented Api'. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

, V-IsAAo E. BoEKENooGEN AND EARL R. YAiirEjs, or l.errant MINNESOTA.

Towrivo DEVICE.

kiippiica'cifm nieaaan'uy 14, i925. ysemi'Nw/2,295.v

To all whom t mai/'concewi'f Be 1t known thatwe,` Isaac E. BoEirENoo- GEN and EARL R. AMES, citizens of the United States, residing' at Aitkin, in the4 county of Aitkin and 'State ofMinnesota', have invented certain new'andfuseful Improvements in` Towing Devices, of whichV the following Vis a specification.

Our invention relates to devices'for luse in towing motor vehicles. It will be understood by those. engaged in rescuing brokendown motor vehicles, that when the 'front end of the vehicle is broken'dowmthis end is gacked up and the vehicle is towed front end forward with no difficulty, `since the 'rear Wheels follow along without sidewise turning or wobbling movement. ButV when the rearl end of a motor vehicle is broken down, ,thisV .have a driver in the car which vis being towed in this manner nor is it an easy matter f for the driver7 even if present, to control the towed car since'he is facing backwardly. An object therefore of` our invention is to provide a device which will prevent the 'backwardly disposed front wheels from Aconstructed in suoli manner that it may be vention will now be obvious.

swinging movement on the axle when the.

motor vehicle is being towed rear end forward. 7e accomplish this object byY providing a device having a member adapted to fit upon and be firmly clamped to the front axle and another'member adapted to fit upon and be firmly clamped to the steering knuckle arm tie rod, these two members being connected together so that when the device vis in use, relative sidewise movement of the two members is prevented, thereby'causing the wheels to follow straight ahead in thedirection in which the motor vehicle is being towed. Another object is to provide a device of this character which is adjustably used on various makes of motor vehicles.vr

The full objects and advantages of vour invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and the vnovel features embodied in our inventive idea will be particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment 'offour 1nvention, Fig. 1 is a'plan' view 4showing the front axle and a portion of,v the steering- Ymechanism of a motor vehicle vwith our 'devicey secured thereto. Fig. 2 is-a sectional View of one end of the device vsecured to the front axle. Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofthe other end of the device secured to the steering knucklefarmtie rod. F ig. 4 is a view vinV section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

vReferring to the drawings,'a front axle.

10V is vshown provided with the customary swingingspindles 12 and 14"forrreceiving the front wheels, these spindles having se- .cured'thei'"eto .steeringknuckle arms 16 and 18Yconnectedby the tie rod 2O.l Referring now to our device, one end thereof consists of a member having a base 22 from the ends ofwhich lafnges 24 and 26 extend upwardly.

Theflange 24 is provided with a screw threaded hole adapted to receive the threads of abolt 28. The iange 26 at its upper end y .is provided with ak lhorizontal flange 30 :which extends away from the two opposite sides-thereof; This fiange v30 is in alignment {with the bolt28 and the'inner endY of this Vflange is adapted to engage the 'side ofv the front axle 10 which is opposite the side thereof'engaged bv the bolt-28. A rod 32 is pivotally attached to the outer end-fof the flange 30 and this rodatits other end is pivyotally Aattached to an eye 34 which extends downwardly from the base 36 of another member ofthe device. Flanges 38 yand 40 extend in a generally upward direction from the ends ofthe base 36. era-bly4 outwardly inclined for a purpose which will presently appear and this ange is provided with a screw threaded hole to receive thethreadsof a bolt 42. The flange 40 is in general V-shaped with its lower portion inclined away from the base 36 and itsk upper portion is linclined toward the Harige 38 and provided at its upper extremity with a short portion 42 substantially parallel with the hase 36. The apex of the V-shaped flange is ldisposed opposite the inner end of the bolt 4.2. p v

' The operation and advantages Vof our in- Vhen the bolt28 is partly unscrewed, the member by which it is carried may be readily slipped uponthe front axle as will vbe understood froinFig. 2. Upon screwing down the bolt- 28, the 'said member willv be firmly clamped in plape'on the front axlelO which is shown in the-form 'of an I-beam.' It will be ob Flange 38 is pref- Y of z. base, a flange vround on account ci' its engagement in the Vfsha'oed flange {Ji-.0. lt the tie `rod is sqn re the Dertien 4t2 and the base 36 engage opposite sides t the sri-nare lrod so that lirin clamping engagement is eti'ected. Since the rod 3Q is piifo'oillyV attacl-ied to the two end ineinbers oit' the device and since the bolts 28 and may be unscrewed to any desired eritent, the device Amay be easily and quickly attached and detael'ied tor use with various makes of cars, regardless ont the size and shape o'fthe trent axle and tie red and the distance between there.

We claiml. ri device ttor use in towing hicles ccnnprising end member consisting extending up 'trein one end et said base, a bolt threaded tl'irongh said iiange, a second flange .extending up from the other end of said base and a horizontal flange extending` iron'i the top'of said second in alineinent with said bolt whereby said member is adapted to lit upon and be clamped .to the front axle, a rod .inotor ve- Y pivotally attached lat one end to said meniber, a second end member consisting of a base to which the other end oi said rod is pir/orally attached, a flange extending up trein one end oit. said base7 a bolt threaded through said Aflange and a second flange `en -tending up v'troni the other Vend of said base, said second flange being J-shaped nf'liereby said second nieinber is adapted to lit upon and be clamped to the steering knuckle arm tie rod.

2. i device for use in towing niotor vehicles comprising an end ineniber consisting` of a base, a ilange extending np from one end o .said base, a bolt threaded through said iange7 a second lange extending nL troni the other end of said base and a horizontal llange extending from the top ot said second flange in alignment with said bolt whereby said ineniber is adagted to fit upon and be clamped to the front axle a rod pivotally attached at one end to said horizontal flange, ya second end ineniber consisting` oi a base, an .eye carried by ysaid base, to which the other end ot said'rod is pivotally attached, a tiange extending up Vtroni one en d of said base, a bolt threaded through said flange and a second .flange extendingnp from the other end ot said base, said second lange being V-shaped and having a ,short portion -enqtending` inwardly from its top in substantially parallel relation to said base whereby said Leeond ineinber is adapted to fit apen and be clamped to the steering,- knuckle arin tier rod.V

ln testimony whereof our signatures.

we hereunto afin SAAC E. BOEKENOGGEN. EARL R. AMES. 

